UNT Professor Earns Top Composition Honor

Congratulations are in order for University of North Texas professor Cindy McTee this afternoon, as McTee has won this year's Detroit Symphony Orchestra Elaine Lebenbom Memorial Award for Female Composers, which each year is dolled out to one living female composer for, well, her work in musical composition, of course.

But it's more than just an award: With the honor comes a $10,000 cash prize and the opportunity of having one of her original compositions performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, as led by newly appointed musical director Leonard Slatkin.

"Commissions of this sort are relatively rare and always provide huge potential for growth," McTee says in the press release UNT sent out today, announcing the honor. "What a privilege it will be to write for a world-renowned conductor who has championed the work of countless living composers and an orchestra considered to be among the finest anywhere. I can't wait to get started."

So well done, Professor McTee both for the award and for keeping UNT's musical tradition alive and kickin'. Full presser after the jump.

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DENTON (UNT), Texas * Dr. Cindy McTee, Regents Professor of composition at the University of North Texas College of Music, won the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Elaine Lebenbom Memorial Award for Female Composers, given annually to one living woman composer.

As the winner, McTee will receive a $10,000 cash award and compose an original orchestral work to be performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leonard Slatkin June 3-6, 2010.

"I am thrilled for the opportunity to write a new piece for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and its newly appointed music director, Leonard Slatkin," McTee said. "And I am also very grateful for the support UNT will give to this project in the coming months.

"Commissions of this sort are relatively rare and always provide huge potential for growth," she said. "What a privilege it will be to write for a world-renowned conductor who has championed the work of countless living composers and an orchestra considered to be among the finest anywhere. I can't wait to get started."

McTee, who was announced as winner on Feb. 20, was chosen from about 50 applicants from Austria, China, Japan, Korea and the United States. The third annual competition was judged by a committee of Slatkin; Bright Sheng, composer; David DiChiera, composer and general director of the Michigan Opera Theatre; Richard Robinson, Detroit Symphony Orchestra bassist; and Catherine Compton, Detroit Symphony Orchestra violist.

The award was named for Lebenbom, a composer, poet, artist, teacher and lecturer who died in 2002.

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